Jay Harbaugh set to head to the Los Angeles Chargers
In a move everyone expected, Michigan Wolverines special teams coordinator/safeties coach Jay Harbaugh will leave Ann Arbor to join his father’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers. It had been widely assumed, but MLive’s Aaron McMann said Thursday that this is his final week working with the program.
The Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh on Jan. 24 and most believed one of his first moves would be to bring his son with him. Another is defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, whose hiring has not been made official but is also expected. Strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert will also join Harbaugh in Los Angeles. Justin Tress will replace Herbert, but the other positions have not yet been filled.
Jim Harbaugh confirmed the hiring of Herbert on Thursday during his introductory press conference, but did not have an update to give on Jay Harbaugh or Minter.
Jay Harbaugh was U-M’s longest-tenured assistant coach in the 2023 staff, having been with the team since the 2015 season. In his first two years with the program, he coached the tight ends and was an assistant special teams coach before sliding over to running backs in 2017-18. Ahead of the 2019 season, he was elevated to special teams coordinator, a role he held through the 2023 season. Harbaugh moved back to tight ends in 2021 and coached the safeties the last two years.
For the Harbaughs, finding a way to coach together and win a national championship together was a dream come true. Jim and Jay were together for it the entire way.
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“It’s awesome,” Harbaugh said at College Football Playoff National Championship media day. “I’m just super happy for [Jim] and for the whole team. I have a ton of appreciation for him and admiration and love for him and I think he’s the best in the world at what he does. It is neat to see you have a great plan and you get good people and you stick to it.
“To see that get us to this point with the chance to put an exclamation mark on it and say, ‘Hey, look, it worked.’ That’s, that’s a cool thing, but they’re just excited and excited for the team and to have the opportunity that they have.”
Harbaugh started at Oregon State in 2008-11 as an undergraduate assistant before spending time with the Baltimore Ravens from 2012-14 as an offensive quality control coach. His role with the Chargers is to be determined.
Sherrone Moore was named Michigan’s head coach on Jan. 26 and continues to work to put a staff together for the 2024 season and beyond. Keep it locked in here for more staffing updates and more as the Moore era begins in Ann Arbor.
